US to make social media disclosure mandatory for foreign travellers

The United States is proposing new security rules that would make it compulsory for millions of travellers entering the country under its visa-free programme to disclose their social media accounts.

According to a public notice issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the proposed revision to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) has been released ahead of its formal publication in the Federal Register.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the update will require applicants to submit social media identifiers used in the past five years as part of a broader overhaul of security screening.

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CBP said the change is necessary to comply with Executive Order 14161, signed in January 2025, which directs federal agencies to strengthen measures aimed at identifying foreign security threats.

Until now, ESTA applicants were only asked — but not required — to provide social media information. “The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years,” the notice states.

The agency said mandatory disclosure will help verify identities, detect fraudulent applications and identify potential security risks. The new rules also introduce other major data requirements, including email addresses used over the past decade, telephone numbers from the past five years, IP addresses, extensive family information, and a wider range of biometric data such as facial information, fingerprints, iris scans and DNA.

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DHS said the expanded collection is intended to align with updated federal identity-verification standards and strengthen screening.

Another significant change is the planned closure of the ESTA web portal, with all applications to be submitted exclusively through the mobile app.

The Visa Waiver Program, which covers visitors from 40 countries, processes more than 14 million ESTA applications annually, and the new requirements are expected to increase the compliance burden on travellers.

DHS is requesting public feedback on all proposed changes, including the compulsory social media disclosure, for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. If adopted, the rules would mark one of the most extensive expansions of digital-identity and social-media vetting in US immigration history.